The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 02

Alex's POV:

The wind was still blowing when I reached a small clearing in the woods, where I usually came to train. The tall trees formed a circle around it, the space inside free of any bushes as though it was made specifically for me. The fallen leaves decorated the forest floor, crunching beneath my feet when I stepped on them.

I put my bag aside and shrugged off my hoodie. The cold autumn wind hit my bare arms, making me shiver.

I walked to the middle of the clearing and started my stopwatch before pocketing it. I relaxed my tense body, letting energy flow through me. Closing my eyes, I let my other senses take over me. I could hear the wind rustling the leaves, water flowing in a nearby river, and the birds chirping.

I was now beginning to catch the scent of the rain which meant I had about an hour until the first rain would pour down.

Since the wind was blowing, I focused my senses on that element, stretching my hands open. I felt it happening. A tingling sensation crawled on my arms. The wind focused itself on me, and I felt it circle me. The wind caught my hair and blew it back, pushing against my body. I kept my feet planted on the ground, bracing myself for the next part.

The wind blew stronger and circled me faster. I drew my eyebrows slightly and the tension started returning to my body at the intensity of the wind. I wanted to back down, but I willed myself to go through it. The wind always wanted to control me. I couldn’t let it succeed.

My head was throbbing now. I grunted as I struggled to stay upright. After a few minutes, the energy started to abandon my body, leaving me weak. I groaned in frustration. I hated how fast my body got drained whenever I focused too hard on using my gifts. I could only train for so long.

The wind was dominating me now, taking advantage of my decreasing energy. I felt its impact on my body and staggered back a step, struggling to keep my balance. Part of me wanted to hold up, but before the wind could crush me completely, I opened my eyes and shut my focus. The wind immediately slowed down and continued blowing lightly in the direction it was going before. I let out a breath and fell to my knees, exhausted. After a moment, I took the stopwatch out of my pocket to see how long I had resisted it.

Barely three minutes.

I sighed irritably, throwing the stopwatch aside with such force that it broke. I wished I was capable of training more and having more control over the wind. Out of the three elements I could manipulate, you would think fire or water would be the hardest, but I had mastered control over those two years ago. It was air I could never control. It refused to be sustained and boldly countered anyone who tried to do so.

Frustrated, I picked up my bag and got to my feet before putting my hoodie back on. I was planning to train more than that but I also knew it was risky to get myself to focus on one element when I was in such a mood. I learned that the hard way.

I sighed and walked out of the woods. As I stepped on the sidewalk, I pulled my hood over my head, blending into the groups of people. The sky above me was starting to darken with clouds, and the wind blew colder, indicating that it would start raining soon. I kept my eyes on the paved path ahead of me, trying not to focus on how the excessive amount of people was triggering my instincts and senses. Too many voices, too many scents, and too many emotions.

I sighed in relief once I got some space. I was about a mile away from home when my instincts shifted again, causing my feet to stop and twitch to the side. I drew in my eyebrows and turned my head to the side. It was an old and worn warehouse, its paint fading as a result of exposure to sunlight over the years. I had passed it many times before but this time, something inside me was trying to push me toward it. I looked around and then back at the warehouse, biting my lip.

Then I shook my head. My instincts were always right but they tended to get me in trouble. Right now, I wasn’t in the mood to get in any trouble. I took a deep breath to relax the supernatural part of me and started to walk again.

A minute later, I found myself rewinding my steps to the warehouse. I looked at it again knowing that this was a bad idea but still not being able to help it. I tried to tell myself that going in there was going to get me in trouble but my instincts pushed me harder. I sighed in defeat.

“I am so going to regret this,” I mumbled to myself before walking toward the door. When I neared it, I realized it was ajar. I pushed it open and stepped inside, running my gaze around the dark, empty place. There didn’t seem to be any danger so I walked further inside. I let my bag slide down my arm and put it aside before I continued to examine the warehouse.

That was when a thud sounded behind me. I turned and saw the silhouette of a man. Before I could comprehend anything about him, he launched at me. My instinct kicked in and I ducked, side-stepping his punch, and took a step back. I couldn’t see him clearly in the darkness, but I knew from his demeanor that he wasn’t exactly here to give me a kind tour.

On my left, another man dropped to the ground, and I looked up to see where they were coming from. Fifteen feet up along the walls, I saw a catwalk where about a dozen more men stood. I set my jaw, finally realizing just how bad of an idea this was.

I cursed under my breath as three more men dropped to the ground. I took a deep breath, trying to feel as much rage as possible inside me. A few seconds later, I finally grabbed ahold of it, and my eyes took on a red tint. I knew it must’ve stood out in the darkness, making it easier for them to spot me, but I still had an advantage.

They launched, and I pulled my senses together. I dodged a man’s punch and pulled my leg up to the side, kicking another in his stomach. He staggered back as another man brought up his hand and his fist connected with my jaw. A surge of pain went through me, but I didn’t lose my composure. I kicked him hard. From the side, another man launched at me with his arm outstretched, but I took hold of his wrist in time and twisted his arm. He cried out in pain when I dug the heel of my boot into his leg and forced it to the side, snapping the bone.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, alerting me, and before my mind could comprehend, my instincts forced my elbow behind me, hitting a man square in the chest. He clutched it in pain as he staggered back. Taking advantage of his distraction, I clenched my hand into a fist to punch him, but two men grabbed each of my arms and kept me firmly in my place. I struggled to get free, but their grip was too strong. Inhumanly strong.

“It’s a bit strange,” a man spoke in a scratchy voice. I turned my head and saw him standing on the catwalk behind the railing. I glared at him, my eyes taking on a redder tint. “From Ryan’s description, I thought it would be a boy.”

“And you weren’t wrong,” A younger, much clearer voice spoke from behind him. Before the man could react, a pair of hands appeared from behind him. The person snapped his neck, and he was dead before he even hit the ground.

Instead of the man now, there was someone younger standing behind the railing. His eyes blazed red and he didn’t look much older than me. The men on the catwalk across from him moved to confront him, but before they could reach him, he gripped the railing and jumped down, landing effortlessly on his feet. There was something in that action, something inhuman that only my instincts were able to detect.

I didn’t waste any time. In the grip of the men, I twisted my wrists, grabbing an arm of both of them. I took a deep breath, trying to gather all the heat I could in the cold room. I felt my palms prickle and both the men let go of me instantly. I smirked, whirling on them. I pushed my elbow behind, hitting the man on my left, and brought up my leg to kick the one on my right.

I took a few steps back as I saw the rest of the men had jumped down from the railing as well. The boy had knocked out about three of them, but there were still too many of them. I knew I had to bring out the supernatural part of me now.

The boy joined my side and the men gathered in front of us. At my sides, I kept curling and uncurling my hands into fists, trying to gather as much heat as I could. I finally felt my palms prickle.

When he saw that, the boy knelt and placed his palm on the ground. He looked up at the men and his eyes changed their color from red to a blazing green. I didn’t quite understand what he was trying to do until starting from beneath his hand, the ground began to c***k. The c***k lengthened until it reached the men and from there, it started to widen.

I knew it was my turn to play my part now. I took a deep breath and craned my neck as flames burst on my hands. I exhaled slowly, pushing forth the energy and the flames gained strength. Fire burst forth and hit the ground. My eyes reddened as my instincts guided the flames to circle the men. The ground beneath them burst open and the men fell into the newly formed pit, crying out in fear and pain.

“Let the fire into the pit,” the boy said, his eyes fixed ahead of him. I looked down at him.

“That’ll kill them.”

“They won’t be dead. Not for long,” he said. I hesitated. He looked at me and for a moment, the glow in his eyes flickered. “Trust me. I know what we’re dealing with.”

My instincts shifted, telling me to trust him and my instincts were never wrong. I inhaled and guided the fire into the pit. Screams echoed through the air. I took a shaky breath. The fire was draining my energy and I had already trained with the wind before this. It wasn’t exactly safe to use that much supernatural energy with so little gap. But I was taking my chances.

Beside me, the guy stood up and stared into the fire which was reflected in his irises. I let the fire burn until I could no longer manage to hold it. My hands let go of the heat and my eyes returned to their hazel color. I staggered back a step, suddenly feeling lightheaded, and put a hand on the wall behind me to regain my balance.

“Are you okay?” The guy asked, taking a step toward me as I breathed heavily. I nodded straightening up against the wall.

“I’m just drained,” I answered and looked up at him. He was a few inches taller than me though I couldn’t make out any details in the darkness with my human eyes and I was too tired to bring out my supernatural ones. So, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall, trying to relax before I went out into the world of chaos again.